Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Everyone sat on the porch and talked. Wade happily sat in Scarlett's lap until he got restless and got down to play with the blocks that were on the porch. Scarlett said, "Did you carve these Will?"
"Yes, I did it to learn my ABC's."
"I'm sure Cassie will enjoy playing with them."
"It also gave me something to do in the winter."
The aunts were polite and respectful and never said a word about Rhett's presence on the porch. They ate their chocolate while never offering any one a piece. Scarlett and Careen smiled. It was the first time in a long time the women had gotten anything nice. One could understand why they didn't want to share. It almost made Scarlett wish she had gotten them each a box, then she looked at Rhett and remembered how Aunt Eulalie had scolded her for putting her businesses before her husband and child. Any tender feelings Scarlett may have had were gone.
When Scarlett went upstairs to get Ella after she had woken up from her nap, Scarlett gave the fabric to Mammy. She said, "Rhett said that his mammy had always wanted a red taffeta petticoat so stiff it could stand by itself. I gave you the chocolate and the other fabric. If you don't want the red taffeta fabric because it is from Rhett. Give it away. We will never know."
Soon thereafter Rhett, Scarlett, the children, and Prissy returned to Atlanta and their suite at the National Hotel. As they road along in the buggy, Rhett said, "What was it?"
"I will tell you later."
"All right."
Scarlett pointed out all the landmarks while her children sat in her lap. Rhett smiled. He had what he wanted almost. He just had to make her feel secure.
When the family got back from Tara, Rhett got a bellhop to put the children and Prissy's trunk in the suite. They were going to continue to live at the National Hotel. After all, they were moving to the North soon.
That night after Rhett and Scarlett had gotten into the bed, she said, "The Yankees think Big Sam killed a man."
"I wonder why he killed the other man."
"You think he did it?"
"Yes, desperate people do stupid things. If someone tried to steal from Big Sam, he would have had to put him down."
"That seems a little extreme."
"Remember all those starving people we saw at Shantytown."
"Yes."
"In that world you can either be a victim or a predator. There is no in between. You can't show any weakness."
Scarlett didn't like the cold way Rhett was talking. Like he was remembering a time when he had been forced to be a predator. Or worse when he had been a victim. She saw that all Rhett's finer breeding had been stomped out of him and the pirate blood had come to the surface. She said, "I told Will and Careen that I didn't believe it, but I thought Big Sam was safer at Tara. I don't need a driver anymore after all."
"It explains some of his actions."
"Like what?"
"Like never looking a stranger in the face, like when we were at the Fire House moving the buggy, like growing a beard, and I suspect many other things I didn't see."
"Like always being so happy to go to Tara."
"I think that had more to do with Liberty being at Tara. Being far away from the Yankees was just a bonus."
Rhett had rolled Scarlett over and all his dangerous mannerisms had disappeared. He had scared her, but he had actually also made her feel safer. She knew he would protect her no matter what he had to do. Up to and including killing someone. It made her truly wonder if Rhett had killed Frank in the first timeline. She shook those thoughts from her head. Rhett was kissing her and that was all she wanted to think about. That and what his hand was doing down there.
Scarlett in typical self-centeredness had found a way to not let Rhett's activities with other women bother her. She had decided that he had to learn from someone. It is not like he could learn how to pleasure a woman by himself. He had to have a woman to practice on. All those other women were just women he had practiced with to make him perfect for her. She had even notched it up a level by deciding that he had done all that work so he would be ready to be her amazing, sensuous husband. In her mind she always denoted that it was work with the other women and pleasure with her.
A couple of nights later, Rhett told Scarlett as he was getting ready to leave, "I am going to check on some business deals I have brewing."
"All right."
"I will probably play some cards also."
"All right."
As Scarlett watched Rhett walk out the door, she was amazed he had told her so much. She got up and got her book. She was reading The Man in the Iron Mask. It was one of the first books Patrick gave her to read. She had enjoyed it then, but now that Rhett had explain what was going on in France at the time the book was much more interesting.
As Rhett was walking down the stairs, Clarence materialized and said, "My supervisor said I'm not allow to show you the transcripts of your conversations with Scarlett."
"Damn it. I wasn't listening. I feel that was a critical moment in our relationship. I think she told me everything I needed to know, but because I wasn't listening, I blundered along doing the wrong thing every time. I don't want to make the same mistakes again."
"I can give you a summary."
"I will take it."
"She felt guilt for Frank's death."
"Wait I remember that. She wasn't sorry Frank died just that God was going to blame her for it. She did feel guilty for having treated Frank so badly."
"Yes, that's correct. She didn't want to get married again."
"I remember that."
"She didn't want to have any more children and she didn't want to have relations anymore."
"Yeah. Just a minute. What did she call it? Foolishness?" Clarence nodded. Rhett continued, "That was a big oversight on my part."
"Yes, the nightmare and her…."
"Not feeling safe. I missed that completely."
"You tried to make her say she loved you and she refused."
"I got mad about that. Why did I think she would? She didn't love me then."
"That she knew."
"Either way I shouldn't have tried to force her to say it." Rhett turned and looked at Clarence. Almost with awe in his voice like he had deciphered the Rosetta Stone, "I can't force her to do anything. The more I try to force her the more she digs in her heels. I can never come straight at her."
"No, you can't"
"Anything else."
"When she was mad at you, you were able to get her to not be mad at you by promising to buy her a big diamond."
"I did."
"That set up the tone of your relationship. No matter what you did, you thought you could buy her something and she would be happy with you."
Rhett said sadly, "No, that she would love me. I did the same thing with Bonnie. That is why I bought my daughter everything she wanted. So, she would love me. So, she would always be happy."
Clarence quietly said, "It is always easier to give your money than give part of yourself."
"Especially for me." Rhett was at the street now and he said, "Anything else?"
"I don't think so."
"If you find out something else, let me know."
"You bet, Rhett."
"Let me go make some money."
"You know what you are doing is illegal, don't you?"
Rhett grinned his charmingest smile and said, "The illegal activities make the most money. Bye for now."
"Wait, Rhett."
"Yes, Buddy."
"Help Ashley get a job."
"Help Ashley get a job! Are you kidding? I hate that spineless milk toast."
"I know you do, but as I have said Ashley is just a man without a country so to speak. You yourself told Scarlett that Ashley was just a man trying to live in a world he didn't understand while living by rules that no longer applied."
"When did I say that?"
"The night you told Scarlett you were leaving. She started telling you how you had been right about Ashley and….."
"I remember now. Yes, I did say that, and I still think that is true. What kind of job should I get him? They don't have jobs for men to drink wine and read old books. If they did, I would take that one."
Clarence smiled and said, "Me too. I do like to read old books. Of course, they aren't old books to me. Most were written after I came into being."
Rhett smiled at the statement. He said, "You figure out what job he would be good at, and I will get him an interview."
"A schoolteacher."
"Teaching what?"
"English literature, philosophy, or mythology."
Rhett stared at Clarence and finally said, "Today is Mr. Wilkes lucky day. I happened to know someone who owns and operates a boys' school. I will set it up because you asked me to, but if Mr. Wilkes blows the interview that is all I am doing."
"I am sure he will do just fine."
Rhett didn't answer. He got in the cab. Clarence dematerialized and got in the cab also. The angel wondered if his charge really thought he disappeared or what.
Every morning while Rhett was shaving and alone, he would call for Clarence. Every morning that the angel showed up, Rhett was disappointed.
One morning Clarence said, "I know that you never want to see me again because that would mean that the contract had been broken, but it hurts my feelings when you look so disappointed when you see me."
"I'm sorry, Buddy. I will try to do better."
Clarence thought Rhett had made real progress. In his first timeline he would not have cared if he hurt someone's feelings.
Rhett said, "Can you get me a copy of another transcript?"
"I'll try."
"I want to know what Mr. Wilkes said to Scarlett the day she went out to the mills after Bonnie was born."
"I know I can't get that one. The only ones I might be able to get are the conversations that you are involved in."
"All right. I just wish I knew what he had said to her."
"Sorry."
"It is all right, Buddy. Thanks anyway."
Two weeks after Rhett sent the telegram to the Pinkerton Agency, a letter arrived in the mail. It was a report on Patrick Crane Green.
There was a lot more detail, but the only thing Rhett was concerned about was Patrick and Alice's Green's son's age. Noah was three years old.
Rhett showed the document to Scarlett. When she was finished reading it, she said, "I never knew that Patrick and Alice grew up together. Did you read this part?"
Rhett looked at where Scarlett was pointing. He said, "Yes, so very sad."
"It makes it even more important that we save Noah."
"It explains why Alice went into a depression."
"Rhett, we have to be in Boston on September fifteenth."
"Do you know where it happened?"
"Yes. It was the park Patrick would never go to, Foyle Park."
"By the middle of August, I should be ready to leave. Will you be ready to leave?"
"I was ready to leave the South two years ago."
Rhett smiled. He said, "I bet you were."
Scarlett and Rhett socialized with the Yankees and the Scallawags. Rhett went out to play cards one or two times a week. It wasn't nearly as much fun now that he wasn't drinking, smoking, or fornicating around. In fact, it got boring extremely fast. He went to make money with other less than honorable men, but even that was getting distasteful. Rhett had given up alcohol and cigars to live longer. Now he needed to start living a proper, lawful life with his wife.
Every Sunday Melanie invited the Butlers to dinner. Rhett and Scarlett knew Melly was just doing it because it was the proper thing to do. That and it was a chance for her to see her nephew. Sadly, Wade refused to stay at the Hamilton House without his mother.
Wade didn't like his nervous, fussy Aunt PittyPat and while his Aunt Melanie seemed nice, he didn't know her at all. Beau might be fun, but he didn't want to pretend he was a Confederate general. He wanted to be on the winning side.
